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Political Parties/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim and Moby stand behind podiums on a stage in an auditorium facing a noisy audience. Cameras are whirring and their lights flashing. TIM: In conclusion, I'd like to point out that, unlike my opponent, I care deeply about the fate of the human race. And if elected, I will never force you to kneel before all-powerful robot overlords. Thank you. MODERATOR: Senator Moby, you have thirty seconds to respond. MOBY: Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep. Moby raises his arm to make his point and frowns. The crowd applauds. TIM: I can't believe I'm losing to this guy. The moderator reads the next question from a typed letter. MODERATOR: The next question comes from Mikey, a fifth grader in Kansas City. He asks, what's the difference between Democrats and Republicans? Governor Tim you have three minutes to answer. TIM: Oh, a letter. Haven't I gotten this question before? The Democratic Party and the Republican Party are the United States' two major political parties and they've both been around for a long time! An image shows a red, white, and blue donkey labeled Democratic Party and a red, white, and blue elephant labeled Republican Party. TIM: Some people say that the Democratic Party began in 1792, when Thomas Jefferson founded the Democratic-Republicans who opposed a strong central government. But that party eventually split up, so other people say that Democrats grew out of a branch led by Andrew Jackson. Jackson and his followers believed in limited government powers and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. He was elected president in 1828. An image of Thomas Jefferson appears in front of a star-spangled bunting. Jefferson's image is replaced by one of Andrew Jackson. TIM: The Republican Party, also known as the Grand Old Party, was formed in the 1850s by a group of anti-slavery politicians. The United States was expanding westward, and they wanted to prevent slavery from spreading to new states and territories. An animation shows a map of the U.S. westward expansion. TIM: Abraham Lincoln campaigned on this issue in 1860, and that year he was elected as the first Republican President! An image shows Lincoln standing at a podium in front of a large crowd. MOBY: Beep. TIM: That's correct. The parties have changed a lot over the past two centuries, shifting their positions on quite a few issues. Here’s where the Democrats and Republicans stand today. For the last 100 years or so the Democrats have been the more left leaning or liberal party. An image shows a spectrum fading from blue to red. The blue end of the spectrum represents liberal views, while the red end represents conservative views. A label with the democratic Donkey pops up on the blue end, to show that Democrats usually have liberal views. TIM: That means most Democratic politicians think the federal government should help make sure everyone has the opportunity to succeed. So many of them support things like guaranteed health care for everyone and increased spending on government services like public education. Side-by-side images show a doctor consulting with a patient and a teacher beside a chalkboard. MOBY: Beep. TIM: That's right; these programs cost money, and that money usually comes from taxes. Generally, democrats aren’t afraid to raise taxes, as long as they think it will benefit society as a whole. They also tend to believe that higher taxes on big businesses and wealthy people help keep American society running smoothly. An animation shows a democratic donkey dressed in a suit against a background of dollar bills. Three popups appear with the images of a government building, a park in a city, and a church, to represent some of the societal institutions that receive tax dollars. TIM: Some well-known Democratic presidents include Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Bill Clinton! Side-by-side images show these three Presidents as Tim names them. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Hold your horses, I'm getting there. The Republican Party today has a more right-leaning, or conservative, philosophy. An image shows the red and blue spectrum again. This time, a label with the republican Elephant pops up on the red end, to show that Republicans usually have conservative views. TIM: Republicans tend to believe that taxing businesses and the wealthy gets in the way of economic growth. So, many Republican politicians support lower taxes for everyone, which allows people and businesses to spend their money as they choose. An animation moves down a block full of businesses, which all have signs encouraging customers to spend their tax breaks. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, many Republicans believe that the government should play a smaller role in people's lives. They think that hard work and personal responsibility, not government intervention, should lead to economic success. So Republicans in general are a lot less likely to embrace wide-reaching social programs. An animation shows the Free School Lunch Act getting stamped with the word, veto. TIM: On the other hand, most Republicans do favor government spending money on the military. Well-known Republican presidents include Richard Nixon, Ronald Regan, and George W. Bush. Side-by-side images show these three Presidents as Tim names them. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, there are actually lots of other issues the two parties argue over, but uh, the moderator is giving me the stink eye, so I better move on. MOBY: Beep. TIM: For once, my opponent is correct. Not everyone who belongs to a political party agrees with everything that party stands for. Sometimes, they support only a few of their party's core beliefs. They can even agree with many of the opposing party's positions! It happens all the time. An animation shows a donkey and elephant dressed in suits and shaking hands against a background of the American flag. TIM: In Congress, Democrats often vote alongside Republicans and vice versa. An animation shows ballots getting inserted into a ballot box one by one. TIM: Now, this may surprise my opponent, but close to 40 percent of American voters don't belong to either party. Some belong to smaller parties like the Green Party or the Libertarian Party or the Reform Party. Check out our FYIs to learn more about those! An image shows 10 black silhouetted people and 4 turn white. Then an animation shows logos of various smaller parties populating the screen: Constitution Party, Natural Law Party, Socialist Party, Libertarian Party, Green Party, and Reform Party. TIM: Others prefer to remain independent and don't join any party at all. They can still vote in general elections, but usually not in primaries or caucuses. MODERATOR: Sorry, Governor Tim, but your time is up. Senator Moby, your rebuttal. MOBY: Beep. Moby crosses the stage to hug Tim. TIM: Ah, I was tired of partisan bickering too, you big goon. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts